The Taken
by Skatzaa
Summary: Max and Fang. They were the best of friends. They were the couple everyone wanted to be. Until one day, when Max disappeared. Everyone said she ran away, but he knew better. So he went after her, chasing her across the country with the help of a few peculiar, familiar kids. But what was happening to Max? FAX. T just for the heck of it. It'll be a good read, I swear ;)
1. Prologue

**Hey y'all! It's me! The famous Skatzaa!**

**Lmao jk. No one knows me -_-**

**So anyways, I'm posting the prologue for now, and I'll update when I can. But I'm gunna finish **No Room For Errors This Time **(go check it out ;) ) before I really start working on this.**

**Enjoy! IDOMR….**

_Prologue_

_*Fifteen years earlier*_

"Ma'am." A shaky young man entered the intimidating office, and faced the intimidating woman behind the intimidating desk. With a nod from his superior, he continued. "We have located two possible subjects for Experiment Angel."

The woman at the large desk gestured for more information.

"One male, one female, located in Williamsburg, Virginia. Not related." He glanced down at the clipboard in his hands. "Age: male, one year one month. Female, eleven months."

In that moment, he knew. He knew why they had sent him, the rookie, in. He knew why they had whispered behind closed doors about the Boss, called her the beast. And he knew that he might never leave that office.

At least, not alive.

"_WHAT?_ You think we have the time, the _funds,_ to wait that long? We need subjects _now,_ not _years_ from now!" She took a deep breath, appearing to calm down.

The lab assistant was quaking with fear. He tried to save himself, stumbling over his words as he came up with an excuse, an explanation, _anything._

He never got the chance.

She reached out- he flinched- and beckoned for him to walk closer. He obliged, still terrified. She rose gracefully and strode to the other side of the wooden desk.

"Mr…" She glanced at his laboratory identification badge, "Buxton, thank you, for all you've done for Itex. But I have to inform you that your services will no longer be needed."

His eyes widened and he backed away, but it was too late. Her hands shot out and quickly, efficiently, snapped his neck.

He was dead in an instant.

She brushed her hands on her suit's skirt and briskly walked back to her chair. A long, delicate finger pressed the intercom button.

"Ma'am?"

"Send in a cleanup crew."

"Yes ma'am."

Two men, Erasers, by the looks of it, came in and gathered the body.

"Wait." They froze, and she was pleased to see the fear in their stances. "Leave the clipboard on my desk. Then you are dismissed." The nodded, did as she instructed, and left hurriedly.

She laughed cruelly at their terror. "Now, let's see…"

Flipping to the correct page, she sought the names of the children who could change the world.

_Nicholas Rider. Maxine Martinez._

Marian Janssen smiled darkly. Maybe they could use them after all.

Or at least, one of the two.


	2. Chapter 1

**Wow! This story hasn't even been posted for 24 hours, and I already have SEVEN reviews! Thank you, so much, to everyone who reviewed, followed and/or favorite ^-^**

_Chapter One_

_Fang_

_*Present Day*_

"Fang, Max is gone." _No._ He paled.

_Max is gone. She's gone. Gone._

"No." Max's mom looked up, startled by the young man's voice.

"What?" It was harsh, more grating than she meant it to be. Fang flinched.

"She isn't gone." He refused to believe it. "She can't be." Just yesterday they were goofing off.

_"Stop it!" She shrieked with laughter, so he knew she didn't really mean it. "Come on, Fang, stop! It… it hurts so much!"_

_ He finally relented in his tickling. It was her weakness, and they both knew it. She laid there on the bed in his room, gasping, for a few moments, while he hovered over her._

_ "You're smiling," She grinned up at him._

_ "Only for you, love. Only ever for you." He kissed her softly, but she had other ideas._

"Look, Fang." Dr. Martinez broke him from his thoughts. "I don't want to believe it either." One look at her tear streaked face and he remembered who he was speaking to. "All the signs are pointing to the fact that she ran away-"

"No!" She jumped. "She wouldn't have!"

"Why?" Now Dr. M was curious.

_Because we were going to run away together._

"Nothing."

Dr. M wasn't convinced, just like Fang wasn't convinced she had just left him. He walked out of the Martinez house, without a goodbye, and back to his, right next door. Ignoring his mother, his father, and his annoying little brother, Fang went straight to his room and collapsed on his bed.

_Max._ A sipped ripped his chest in two, and soon he found himself unable to stop. _Max._ Max, his first, true, and only love, was gone.

_She didn't leave._ He was borderline hysterical. _She didn't. She couldn't have. She- she loves me!_

She didn't leave him. She loved him- no, she _loves_ him. She didn't leave him, but she was alive.

_Her melodious laughter that pulled at him, like every time she laughed, giggled, even scoffed. Just like when he took her on their first date, when he first fell in love with her, when he first laid eyes on her._

"Max…" He breathed. She wasn't dead. He would have felt it- or something equally as cliché and cheesy as that.

She was alive. He knew it. And she hadn't left him. Not willingly, at least. So that meant…

She was taken from him.

!~_

_Max_

"Name." She didn't want to say anything, but it was as if she wasn't in control of herself.

"Maxine Valentina Martinez."

"Age."

"Fifteen years, eleven months exactly." She hated it. She couldn't stop herself from giving away anything and everything. Max just hoped they wouldn't ask anything about Fang.

_Fang._

She closed her eyes- one thing she could do- and inhaled. Max could almost imagine that she smelled him here, among the antiseptics and the smell of rotting flesh. She shivered.

What _was_ that place? Everywhere she looked, Max saw white walls, white floors, white skinned people shuffling around in white clothing. It almost hurt to look at for too long.

Another needle pierced her skin. No. She was glad Fang wasn't there. He hated hospitals and doctors more than she did. It was for the best. Herself she was sure of. She could handle it. But Max wasn't sure Fang could.

_Fang._

_Laughing down at her as he attacked her with wiggling fingers. Singing in the car like a lunatic, to make her feel better about her not-so-good voice. Running across the football field with her after he won the big game. _Everything_ about Fang suddenly came rushing back._

"What. The. Hell… is this?" Max's eyes flew open and bypassed the Whitecoats- _Not a bad name at all-_ only to land on a small screen. She hadn't even known they were running another test.

Fully comprehending what she was seeing, her jaw dropped. But she wasn't surprised. Not really. She had just, _just_ found out that afternoon. She had been on her way to Fang's hose when they grabbed her. But it was still a shock to her already traumatized system.

A black screen, with a tiny, white… _blob_ stared back at her, even after she blinked several times. _Well, at least I know it's true, _she thought bitterly.

_Not even sixteen…_

"What does it look like, moron?" Max was glad she still possessed at least some of her snarky attitude.

The scientists, madmen, whitecoats, _whatever,_ shook their heads and clucked their tongues. One woman had the nerve to shoot her a disapproving glare.

_Not even sixteen…_

She could make a song out of that line. Or maybe a poem. The lab junkies continued their tests, poking and prodding her, making her uncomfortable. They finally released her, only to push her down hallways that all looked the same and shoved her in a dog crate. She let out a bitter laugh.

_You'd think they'd at least give the pregnant girl a room._

She settled in as well as she could and drifted into an uneasy sleep with one last thought.

_Fang wasn't even the first person to find out…_

**Whoa. I dropped a lot on you in this chapter :P**

**Sooo, R&R!**

**Read On,**

**Skats**


	3. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! Thanks sooo much for all of the amazing reviews! They make me feel wicked happy :3**

Chapter Two

_Fang_

Something felt… off. He wasn't sure what it was.

It could have been the fact that Max was just gone. Or maybe, it was the silence. That god damned _silence_ that weighed him down like a suffocating blanket.

Why wasn't the world falling to pieces? His certainly was, without her, so why shouldn't everyone else's?

And why, _why_ was there just silence? It should have been loud, loud, deafeningly, heartbreakingly loud to match the screams in Fang's head.

_Max's _screams.

He was not so slowly losing his mind, and he knew it.

He clawed at his ears, desperate for it to stop, _stop, STOP!_

They'd had plans. Plans to get out of there and go to someplace huge, like New York City, or far away, like Arizona. Plans to get married as soon as they could. Plans to have kids. He wanted little Max's, and she wanted mini-Fangs. So they compromised.

Children with Fang's dark hair and Max's chocolaty eyes that he loved so much. Or, ones with her sun-streaked blonde hair and his onyx eyes.

Secretly though, he had still wanted their children to look like her.

_But now, that will never happen._ Fang whimpered at the thought.

"No…" He whispered. She was alive. She had to be.

"No." Louder this time. She was alive, and he would make sure she was okay. Fang stood from his place on the bed and screamed it.

"_NO!"_ He would find her!

But… how? _How_ would he find her? And where in the world was she?

He collapsed on his bed once more and felt his heart shatter.

_She's gone. I can't protect her._

Fang shook at his inability to help the girl he loved. Nothing could have felt worse in that moment. He fought back the overwhelming wave of fear that threatened to crash over him, knowing that if he gave in he would be done for.

_Fight it. Fight it for _Max.

"Max…" He breathed in deeply, wishing she was there so he could wrap her in his arms and never, _ever_ let her go.

They were supposed to be together the day before, when she had disappeared.

_His phone rang, that crazy, stupid ringtone Max had set for herself. No matter how much it annoyed him though, he loved it because she did._

_ "Hey babe!"_

_ Max giggled. "Hey Fangy-poo."_

_ He laughed, despite his hate for the nickname._

_ "What's up?" He was getting ready to pick her up for tier movie date- or so she thought. It was their two year anniversary and he wanted it to be special for her._

_ "I'm sorry, I'm not going to be about to make it for our date. Something's up with JJ…"_

_ "Oh." He tried not to sound too disappointed, but they both knew he was._

_ "I'm sorry Fang, but she said it was important."_

_ "It's okay love. How about tomorrow?"_

_ "Definitely!" He chuckled, but it was half-hearted. "Love you!" She blew him a kiss over the phone._

_ "And I love you." They exchanged goodbyes and hung up. Fang sighed and clanked down at his hand, which was tightly clasped around a little box._

"Happy anniversary love." He searched through his desk drawers for the box. Opening it, he extracted the old fashioned promise ring he had made for her. He then took the chain from around his neck. Slipping the ring on it, he studied the chain's occupants.

There was two dog tags that Max had given him, from back when they were only best friends. One had _Max + Fang_ engraved on it. The other had a feather, from their moms, who had always said _'birds of a feather flock together'._ They hadn't known what the added wink was for until they were older. Then, it would make Max blush and Fang stutter, even after they had started dating.

As Fang put the necklace back on, a tear leaked from his eye and slid down to his jaw.

_No more._ He was done with emotions. She he locked them away, deep in his heart, where they couldn't affect him. If he was to save Max, it would have to stay that way.

But he couldn't just charge off. That was always Max's specialty. No, he needed a plan. Catching sight of his laptop, he had one.

"Holy shit!" A figure crashed through his open window, making Fang immediately alert. But it was only Ella, Max's fourteen-year-old sister.

Normally, he would have laughed. But that was Old Fang, and New Fang needed to stay in control. New Fang helped the girl up and raised an eyebrow.

"I know what you're going to do." Before, he would have blanched, maybe panicked depending on how important secrecy was. Now, he just stood there, stony faced. "And I'm going to help you."

He didn't fight her. Ella had gotten her determination and stubbornness from Max, who Fang had butted heads with more times than he could count over their lifetime. He always lost.

So Instead he just nodded, gestured to the computer, and got to work.

!~_

_Max_

A day. Less than twenty four hours and she was already slipping. The hours blurred together in the darkness of her prison, and she was _scared._ There was a human being, a _child_ growing in her, and there was no way for her to protect it.

No food. They had yet to feed her, and she could feel the hunger clawing at her body.

But it was no match for the desperation. A row over, _something_ let out an inhuman scream, making Max shudder. The cage next to her was crying. She had tried to comfort it before, sticking her hand through the bars. She had come in contact with _scales,_ making _Max_ cry. What _was_ that place?

The door banged open, making everyone- including Max- cower down, half in fear and half from the blinding light that was pouring in.

The whitecoats took their sweet time, torturing them all but leisurely strolling through the crates. Finally, they decided on one. As they rolled it out, Max caught a glimpse of what it was. She wished she hadn't.

It was a baby, a frail, malnourished little thing. But it had the head of a snake, and claws for fingers.

It was _dead._

Max turned and vomited into the corner of her new home. _Please, _please_ Fang. Save me._

_ Save _us.

**Phew! That was sad to write :( Sorry if it seems like nothing much happened, but trust me, stuff happened. :P**

**And for any concerns about OOCness. That's what this chapter was about. Neither of them have gone through the School's tortures yet, so it only makes sense that they're not… Max and Fang like. YET.**

**Anywho, R&R! ^-^**

**Read On,**

**Skats**


	4. Chapter 3

**Hey hey hey, who wants to play? X) lol.**

***ahem* Hey guys! Thanks so much for all of the wonderful reviews! I rather like this chapter, and the one after it- which is short, but you'll see why in a little bit.**

Chapter Three

_Fang_

"You sure?" He shrugged. "Cause, well, ya know, if you're wrong, you don't want to hurt this kid more." He glared. "Whoa, calm down!"

They rode in silence for a few moments, the bus bumping along loudly.

"So, what's up with you Fang? I mean, you were never super talkative, but this is a little ridiculous. You haven't said a word since Max… Oh…"

Fang sighed and nodded. Before Ella could continue her interrogation, the bus pulled up to their stop.

"Finally!" They walked, following the directions in Fang's hand to a tee. Thirty minutes later, the pair arrived in front of a semi-large white house in the suburbs of Portsmouth, Ohio.

"Are you_ su-"_

"Yes!" Ella blinked and her lower lip quivered. He prayed she wouldn't cry, he didn't think he could handle that.

"Fang, you _talked!"_ And she did cry, but they were happy tears. Or so Fang hoped. "You know, I was really starting to worry. It's been like, two and a half days…"

He tuned her out, thinking that she did a great job of making up for his lack of speech.

"Are you even listening to me?" He would have answered, okay, _might_ have, but at that moment the burgundy door flew open.

_"Bye James!"_

_ "Have a good day!"_

_ "Remember to-"_

"_Bye_ Mom! _Bye_ Dad!" The young man stepped outside and slammed the door. He sighed and cautiously walked down the front staircase. Fang and Ella exchanged a glance before she stepped forward and cleared her throat.

"James Griffiths?" He stiffened then nodded, gazing in their general direction. "Could you maybe… um…." She was panicking, Fang could see it. Ella did the same things Max did; breathing through her mouth rather than her nose, tapping her foot wildly, and humming.

"Would you like to go to breakfast with us?" Ella gaped at his sentence length but her ignored her, choosing instead to focus on James.

"Well I kind of have, you know, _school._" The boy gestured to the backpack on his shoulder, similar to the one Fang was carrying. Internally he cursed, having forgotten about that.

"This is worth skipping a day." _Or a lot, if you say yes…._ Ella was back, which he was happy for. In his head, Old Fang smiled. New Fang stayed the same.

_No room for emotions._

"Why?" Ella didn't notice, but Fang saw the way James' eyes were… off. He seemed to be looking at them, but Fang could see how he wasn't making eye contact with either, and how his eyes weren't quite _on_ them.

"It's about your siblings." Fang shouldn't have said it, he knew that the moment it was out of his mouth. Maybe Ella would have made it sound nicer, softer. But between the rasp of disuse and the deepness of his voice, he made it sound sinister.

James sniffed as his shoulders drooped. "Come on. I know a good diner a little ways away."

He set off without looking back, leaving the two to catch up or find it on their own.

* * *

"Hey Iggy, shouldn't you be in school?" Fang raised his eyebrows. _Iggy?_

The cook did the cliché wipe-hands-on-towel-and-throw-towel-on-shoulder move before clapping _Iggy_ on the shoulder. "Your booth's open. There's a stroller in the aisle, four booths down."

That confirmed Fang's idea. The older man caught sight of the unlikely couple. "Who're they?"

"Friends from out of town. They're visiting for the week and we wanted to catch up." He was a good liar, which could be useful. The man stretched his hand out, which Ella took delicately.

"Cody Greyer." He caught her eyeing the large scar on his face, starting at the left temple and curving down to the chin. "Ya like? Got that from a farming accident as a kid."

"Um… I'm Ella, and this is my brother Fang." The eyed each other up, a habit for both, before Cody smiled and shook Fang's hand as well.

"Nice to meet you." Fang nodded and Cody turned back to Ella. "Not much of a talker, is he?"

She grinned sheepishly. "Sorry 'bout that Sir. We just…" Her smile vanished. "We lost someone."

"My girlfriend disappeared two days ago." Fang dropped Cody's hand and wrapped his arm around the younger girl. He didn't fail to notice how Iggy stiffened or how Cody's eyes flitted to him for a second.

"I'm sorry to hear that." He paused. "Well, sorry for holding you up! Come on Iggy, let's get you sit down."

Ella's lower lip quivered once more. Old Fang would have known what to do, but New Fang had forgotten everything like that. So he just awkwardly tried to rub her shoulders comfortingly.

"So why are you here?" As Ella began to fill him in, Fang pulled out his laptop and powered it up. He had an idea…

"We grew up next to each other. Max and Fang were born two months apart and grew up together-"

He tried to block it out.

"-they were practically attached at the hip. I mean, they included me and had other friends, but they did _everything_ together-"

He didn't want to remember. He couldn't _afford_ to remember.

"-Best friends from birth, our mothers always said. When they were fourteen, he asked her out-"

_Shut it down, shut it out._

"-And they've been dating ever since. Max isn't a girly girl, but she's been planning their wedding in a 'secret' notebook for ages now-"

He was glad she said is, not was. Old Fang glowed with happiness at the confession. New Fang slashed him down.

"-But two days ago, she disappeared. Fang and I did some research, and… we found you. Technically-"

_FOCUS!_ He glared at the computer screen as he typed.

"-we found your siblings."

Iggy stiffened. "What about them?"

"Well, they disappeared too." Her voice was soft, but it grated on Fang's senses. "And Fang- well. He has this sixth sense. So we came to see you."

They were silent, the sounds of Fang's fingers clicking on the keys and the diner filled the air around them. Cody called for a dish to be made, a child cried out.

"fine. I'll come with you. But we leave our personal lives out of this, okay?" Ella nodded while Iggy waited expectantly.

"She said yes." The boy made a grateful face, then froze.

"How'd you-"

"I notice things."

Iggy made a face and Ella giggled, but Fang only slammed his laptop shut. "Let's go." Slightly disturbed, Ella and Iggy followed the dark storm cloud person out.

!~_

_Max_

"Angel?" The cage to her right- not the crying one- whispered. It sounded like a boy, a scared little boy, and for a moment Max forgot her own problems. "Ange, are you there?" A sickly white hand shakily reached for her cage.

"No," She tried to sound gentle, but his hand shot away. "My name is Max."

"Oh. I thought you were my friend. They took her three days ago…" HE sighed sadly. "I'm getting worried. The tests don't usually last this long."

That increased her worries. "What do you mean, tests? What is this place?"

The little boy laughed with more hate and knowledge than any child should know. It was a malicious laugh, one that made Max shiver.

"We call this place the School. It's part of Itex, which is a genetics company. That means they do experiments, mostly on kids."

"How do you know this?" She was horrified by the thought of this child, of any child, going through that.

"You tend to pick stuff up when you're here half your life."

"How old are you?"

"Twelve. I think." That sent her reeling. Six years, stuck in that hell hole? Stuck in a freaking dog crate?

"How old is Angel?"

"Eight- she was snatched as a baby." _Eight_ years? Something screamed in pain, sending Max cowering into the corner of her crate. Eventually, she pulled herself back out the face the nameless boy, who she still hadn't seen. The nameless, faceless boy.

"What's your name?"

"Ze- The Gasman. Gazzy for short." She purposefully ignored the slip up and stuck out her hand.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Gazzy." They shared a laugh and a handshake, and for a single moment, were somewhat happy, despite the circumstances of their meeting.

"So, when do they feed us in this joint?" Gazzy spluttered, and she wondered if that was the wrong question to ask.

"We… well, you came after food time the first day, and well… yesterday, you were asleep and the food was just sitting there and it looked so good! And I just couldn't help myself…. Sorry…" He finished dejectedly. Max's initial instinct was to be mad, and she opened her mouth to reprimand him before fully realizing who she was talking to. The poor boy hadn't eaten a full meal in over six years.

"It's okay. Just next time, wake me up, 'kay?" He sighed. "We can share it."

"Really Max? You mean it?"

"Yep!" He thanked her, and they sat in companionable silence for a while.

Until the door flew open.

The whitecoat rolled a crate that was smaller than Max's. She strained to catch a glimpse, despite her last encounter, but only caught a flash of large eyes and limp blonde hair. A second whitecoat stepped forward, ready to select a victim.

He made a beeline right for Max.

"Gazzy…"

"Shh, it's okay. Just go with them and do as they say. It's easier if you do that." She flailed wildly for something to hold onto, and came into contact with the boy's hand. They clung to each other for as long as they could, until she was ripped from his grasp.

As they rolled her out, she saw hundreds of… children, many of which were mutated in one way or another.

_Mutants,_ She decided._ That's what they are._

But as they moved her closer and closer to her destination, she couldn't help but feel that was what was in store for her as well.

_Protect the baby, God, that's all I ask._

**Did anyone catch my subtle, or not so subtle reference to my other two stories? ;)**

**Anywho, winter track started yesterday, and I am already dying! Supposedly the third days the worst, so wish me luck for tomorrow.**

**If you LOVED IT, if you HATED IT, if you just REALLY DON'T CARE, there's only one way for me to know! ...**

**R&R! :D**

**Read On,**

**Skats **


	5. Fang's Blog

**Hey! This chapter's short, so I decided to upload it tonight. :) I have a choir concert in a little over an our, so I'm cramming some cereal down my throat at the last minute before I have to leave again.. I literally got home an hour ago from track, and now I'm leaving again :(**_  
_

**Anywho! Sorry for ranting! :P Enjoy the chapter ;)**

* * *

_Fang's Blog_

V  
V  
V  
V

Welcome to Fang's Blog!

You are visitor number…. 79151

* * *

Yo.

Fang here. I'm not totally sure what to put here, but I'll figure it out. Any advice you guys have would be cool.

Well, I'm not here just for the heck of it. I'm not going to post random things, like how cute Josh Hutcherson is (which he's not- cause I'm a straight guy) or stupid Tumblr pictures (no offense).

No, I have a reason.

See, I have this wonderful girlfriend, Max. We grew up together. We're that cliché next-door-neighbor-love-story. Not that I'm complaining. I love her more than anything.

You're probably thinking, who is this nut and why is he blabbering about this?

Because there's one problem: she's gone. Not like, we broke up, or she moved, or even ran away.

She was kidnapped.

So that's where you come in America. And the world, I guess, if you're reading this. I need you to keep an eye out for that beautiful girl with long blonde hair and big brown eyes, probably in an abandoned warehouse or the back of a pedophile van. Because she wouldn't just leave me, I know it.

Maybe I'll post a picture of her later.

Fly On,

Fang

* * *

**xXdanae-babiiXx : **maybe you should post a picture of yourself ;)

* * *

**ArchyPoo3 : **I can't believe she put this as my username. -_- Anyways man, sorry to hear that. We'll keep an eye out for her around here!

* * *

**VR :** haha, he falls for the username joke everytime! But…. What Arch said! Good luck Fangarang!

* * *

**cEdEsFoReVeR :** from the looks of things, you're from the east coast. Am I right? Well, I doubt she's still here, but we'll look around a bit. But… search for the talker. She's lead you home. (:

* * *

**TheNudgeChannel :** ZOMG! No way! They got you too? I was- I mean, I know people who lost family members and friends. They just went *POOF!* and were gone! No sight of them! It was CRAZY! No one knows where they went, cause, they just disappeared without a trace and there was no signs or clues for the police to follow, sooooooooooo yeah! Anyways, now that I think about it, they were always kids. Huh. How old is Max? If my guess is right, you guys are like, sixteen, seventeen? That's a lot older than anyone they've- OOPS! Anywho, I think I can help you out, meet me in New York City, tomorrow, at the the huge library. You know the one? Okay. If you can't make it, I'll be back the next day, waiting. I'll know you when I see you, but you won't know me. TTFN! =D

* * *

**LissaLOVESFang! :** Forget about her baby, come hang with me and my girls. We'll show you what real love it. ;*

* * *

**Continue Reading…. 253 Comments Total**

* * *

**So, ya like? I think it's a cool idea. I had a very un-subtle tribute to VR and Arch, as well as a girl I grew up with and my alterego.**

**R&R for more!**

**Read On,**

**Skats (anyone notice where I got my sign off from?;) )**


	6. Chapter 4

**Hey! Thank you to everyyyonee who reviewed, and a special thanks to **Scarlett Sparks**, who made me want to update. ^-^**

**Okay, so I just realized in the prologue I said I would finish **NRFETT** before seriously working on this. Oops :P**

Chapter Four

_Should we go?_ The mouse hovered over the ridiculously long post left by **TheNudgeChannel**. _Should we risk it?_

Making a snap decision, much like Max, he shut down his laptop and gently placed it in his bag. Standing from his place at the McDonald's booth, he snapped to get Ella and Iggy's attention, who were engrossed in a conversation about who knows what.

"What are you doing, Fangalator?" Ella enjoyed Iggy, but it was times like that when Fang wanted to hit him.

"Come on." They refused to move. "We have a date to keep."

***1 Day Later***

"So, why did we waste some of our limited funds travelling _back_ to New York?" Ella was furious with him, but he understood. They had one thousand, two hundred, seventy seven dollars and thirty six cents when they started out, the equivalent of their life savings pooled together. Now, they were down a few hundred bucks due to travelling and food. Luckily, they had avoided shelling out money for a hotel room, because they were always moving again by night fall.

Now they had three mouths to feed, instead of two- or one, Fang's original plan.

"I have a contact." That peaked their interests. Fang just kept walking, hoping to make it to the library on time. That made his pause. Did he have the right library in mind? "We're meeting at the library."

"Seriously Fang?" His divulgence of information only served to make her angrier. _And this is why I don't like talking anymore._ "There's like, a gazillion libraries in New York City alone!"

"Silly Ella!" Iggy had hooked onto Fang's backpack, swinging it obnoxiously to make it look as if he was doing it for the sole entertainment of annoying the gloomy boy. Fang knew the real reason, so he let it go. "Fang doesn't mean any old library! He means _the_ library."

"Ohh…"

The finally reached it, dodging people and weaving their way through the crowd.

"Whoa," Ella breathed, gaping up at the massive building. "It's _gigantic!"_

Fang didn't fail to notice how Iggy's face tightened. He sighed.

"Let's go."

They climbed the steps, Fang quietly relaying instructions to Iggy. The taller boy smiled gratefully, to which Fang tapped the back of his hand twice. Ella burst through the doors with the boys trailing behind her.

"It's beautiful…"

"Well, that's nice. Keep it to yourself, kid." Ella stared up at Iggy angrily, but Fang could see the tears lurking beneath the surface. "Not everyone-"

But he never got the chance to finished his rant- _Or maybe, it was a confession-_ because Ella chose that moment to shriek indignantly and run away.

"Ella!" When she didn't return, Fang ran a hand through is hair. "Did you have to do that man? Now we have to find her before meeting up with my contact, who could leave. Then we'll never find Max!"

"Wow, the emo dude speaks!" Iggy smirked. How he knew that, Fang had no idea. But what he did know was that that was the wrong move. In a heartbeat, Fang had him by the throat against the wall.

"Knock it off," He growled. He could feel it when Iggy gulped. "She's-"

"Gone, I get it." They stared each other down, sort of, until Iggy shook the stronger boy off. "You know, you're not the only one beating themselves up over something like this." He held up a hand as Fang opened his mouth to protest. _How does he do that?_ "Trust me, I can just tell. What happened exactly?"

"We were supposed to go on an anniversary date." Iggy quirked his head to one side. "Two years. She called, said she had to help a friend."

"Hm… So you think it's your fault that she's gone because she wasn't with you like she should have been?" He shrugged, though Old Fang protested that is was the truth. Iggy made a face.

"I'm shrugging, Igs."

"Seriously? A nickname for a nickname?" Fang shrugged again, making him laugh. "Come on, let's go find Ella."

They had searched through most of the first floor when they came upon Ella, who was sitting with an explosion of color. Fang though his eyes would burn at the sight of her.

The girl was tall and willowy with dark skin. Her seemingly untamable curls were streaked with silver, and her bangs were all gold. Her outfit consisted of all neon colors, when Fang wasn't sure actually matched. Either way, she pulled it off well.

But what really mattered was Ella, who was laughing at something the girl was actin gout. _She's happy. Thank _God.

"Iggy! Bring Mr. Tall Dark and Silent over to meet my new friend!" Fang huffed at that. She couldn't even address him with his name? It wasn't like _he_ had been the one to yell at her.

"Hi, I'm Iggy." He smiled at her, but Fang flinched as she opened her mouth and took a deep breath. If she was anything like Ella, it would be bad when she started talking.

"Hi! I'm Monique! But I really don't like my name. I wish it was like… Ooh! Tiffany-Krystal! EEK! That's so cute! Anyways, it's nice to meet you. I like your name! Huh. Why'd you call him Tall Dark and Silent? Isn't it usually Tall Dark and Handsome? Anyways, I can see the tall and dark part- we need to get you new clothes, gosh. But silent? Oh! Are you a mute? ZOMG, I'm so sorry!"

He knew three things: she said that in _one breath,_ his brain was officially fried, and she was his contact.

How? One person had said, _Look for the talker. She will lead you home._ Home meant Max. And boy could that girl talk. Plus, she said ZOMG-whatever that meant. He had never seen that before, besides **TheNudgeChannel**.

"Nudge?"

"AH! He speaks!" Monique/Nudge jumped backwards, a look of surprise on her face and her finger pointed at him. He scowled when they all laughed.

Something else was on his mind though. When the girl had flung her hand in his direction, he had caught a glimpse of something on her wrist. A tattoo, by the looks of it. But she had pulled her multitude of bangles down over it before he could tell what it was.

"Yeah. I'm the Nudge Channel: All Nudge, _all_ the time." She sounded like a cheesy news reporter, which sent them into another fit of laughter. "You Fang?"

He nodded.

"Well," she sobered up. "I can help you find Max. Come on, we have to head west."

No one objected.

!~_

_Max_

Pain. Blinding, torturing, excruciating pain tore through her body.

A day. That's all it took for Max to feel broken. After twenty nine hours of being poked, prodded, and examined, not to mention the actual tests, her strength was failing.

They made her run for miles and miles on end, with no breaks. Every time she tried to stop, the sent a horrible shock through her body. She was left terrified, for her life and the baby's. They had put her in a maze, with a heated floor. It burned her constantly, but every time she tried to stop it was unbearable.

The worst part?

It was when they stuck her in the arena. Half-men, half-wolves had appeared, and she was _beyond_ terrified. Her fear was indescribable as the things approached while the whitecoats had watched. They had wanted her to fight them. To _fight_ the beast who held more power than she ever could. They had slashed, clawed, and sliced at her, and the only thing she could do was curl into a little ball in hopes of protecting her baby. _Fang's _baby.

It was simple really.

She was broken. Taken from her home, from everyone she loved, and carrying a child. A normal pregnancy would have been stressful enough, especially at _fifteen._ But there? Max was ready to snap.

Laying in her little _dog_ crate, she shook with the pain, fear, and uncertainty of her new life. If you could even call it that.

They- they didn't even deserve names in her opinion- rolled her back to her spot next to Gazzy. She noticed that the scaled mutant was gone- _Oh God,_ she didn't want to know what they were doing with it. _To _it. In its place was the small cage. Angel.

"Max?" She whimper in response to Gazzy's question. "Max, are you okay?" She couldn't even talk. She didn't want to. She just wanted to sink into the earth and find her way back to Fang/

"Max?" it wasn't Gazzy- the voice was sweeter, softer. _How can there be something so beautiful in such an awful place?_ The voice giggled. She figured it was probably Angel, since it was coming from her left. "Thanks. But… who's Fang?"

_Fang._ The boy she loved. "Oh." Was she thinking out loud?" No, but I can-"

"Not the time, Ange," Gazzy spoke up. "I think they were really tough on her. Maybe you should tell her…" He drifted off, but Angel seemed to know what he was talking about.

"Okay!" How could she be so happy? "Max, I'm going to sing you a song, one that has always been sung to every newcomer. We like to call it The Prophecy."

She cleared her throat and began singing in a high, clear voice.

"_The tale has been told  
many times over  
Yet it never changes  
as they pass it through time._

_It is said it is told  
it is shouted from the mountains  
that one day she will save us  
and bring us back to the world…_

_They say she is strong,  
she is witty and brave  
unafraid to be the Maximum  
to save…._

_It is said it is told  
it is whispered to the children  
that one day she will save us  
and bring us back to the world…_

_She will emerge from our numbers  
ready to fly  
She will not come from the sky  
but in the end she will rule it_

_It is said it is told  
it is hope for our people  
that one day she will save us  
and bring us back to our world…_

_The tale has been told  
many times over…_

_It is said… it is told…  
It is out right against the enemy…  
That one day she'll save us…_

_And bring us  
out of the dark…"_

It was absolutely beautiful, and haunting, but she just couldn't bring herself to open her mouth. Her body was a raging inferno, but something else was wrong. She knew it.

After hours of just lying there, Max could finally move. The first thing she did was stretch, but she immediately regretted it. To be accurate, she would regret it for the rest of her life.

It was in that moment when she lost any chance of a normal life, along with most of her sanity. She lost one of the dearest things to her, in that first glimpse. Looking back, years later, she knew that that was the point of no return.

But as she gazed curiously at the tattoo on her wrists, she knew none of that. All she saw was one tiny wing on each wrist.

The wings that ultimately ruined her life.

"Hey Gazzy?"

"Max! Thank God you're okay! …what's up?"

"What's with the tattoos on me?" The pair gasped.

"Max," Angel said slowly, "What do they look like?" Max replied, telling them in a vague explanation. The pain still ruled her body, rendering her incapable of anything too complicated.

But when Angel screamed, a flood of adrenaline brought her back.

"What! What is it?"

"Max…" Gazzy whispered. "They've marked you. You've been slated for Experiment Angel."

"What is that?"

Angel spoke up. "It means you'll have wings."

**Hope you like it! It's 11 o'clock here, and I'm putting off English vocab homework (due tomorrow), my Math Chapter Journal (due tomorrow), AND my English project's bibliography (this is a freaking ginormous project, due.. you guessed it, tomorrow). I am sooo freaking dead.**

**But I got out of practice today! (I was sick;) )**

**Anywho, R&R to wish me luck with crappy tomorrow!**

**Read On,**

**Skats**


	7. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: IDNOMR**

_Chapter Five_

_Fang_

He couldn't get Nudge's tattoo out of his head. What was a… he actually didn't know how old she was. She he asked.

"Hm?" She stopped in the middle of her rant to Iggy. "Oh! Thirteen. Anyways-"

_Thirteen?_ She looked at least fifteen, if not Fang and Iggy's age. But she wasn't like those girls who wore clothes three sizes too small- made for women ten years older than them- and caked their faces with pounds of makeup. No, she just… seemed older. She had that air about her.

So, what was a thirteen year old doing with a tattoo? He eventually shook it off.

"AHH! Can we get a pretzel? ZOMG, how about a hotdog? I've always wanted one! But I've never had enough- I mean, PLEASE FANG?" Fang started to turn his head towards her. Ella shook her head and hands and Iggy's eyes widened while he shouted _NO!_ But Fang didn't listen.

He wished he had.

When Fang came to face Nudge, he succumbed instantly. Huge, caramelly eyes looked up at him through delicate eyelashes. Tears welled up. Her lower lip quivered slightly and she sniffed. He was a goner.

Nicholas Fang Rider, badass extraordinaire (or so New Fang liked to claim), had given in to the bambi eyes. He never even stood a chance.

"Sure," He sighed.

"_YIPEE!"_ Nudge was beaming and Ella rolled her eyes.

"Softie," Iggy scoffed. Fang gave a half smile.

But they couldn't keep it up. Four people was a lot to feed, especially when all of them had to travel to the west coast. At least, that's what Nudge had made it sound like.

Fang sighed, a deep, lonely noise containing more emotions than he usually let show. No one took notice of his internal debate. He couldn't leave any of them behind- Ella was depending on him (not to mention his girlfriend's little sister); Iggy, though he would never admit it, need them to a certain extent, for varying reasons; and Nudge, well, she had grown on him. But they just couldn't make it to Max like this.

He scuffed his shoes as he walked, downright furious. Max just felt so out of reach. It seemed like an easy task when he was just sitting at home, brooding over his lost friend and girlfriend. Now, out in the world, trying to find her and survive was nearly impossible.

As Ella and Iggy talked and Nudge looked for a hotdog cart, Fang fell into a silent despair. _Max is gone…_ Two tears dropped to the ground. One hit the pavement, but the other…

It landed on the word _MAX._

He blinked.

Lying on the ground in front of him was a tiny black plastic card. In the bottom corner, where Fang's tear had fallen, was the only word on the card. _MAX._ He knew instantly that it was meant for them. He picked it up.

"Come on guys!" Fang, too caught up in the rush of happiness, didn't notice when he smiled brightly. The others stopped, their jaws almost brushing the ground. He just kept walking, not really caring if they were with him or not. "Where is it? Where, where(**A/N: Spamalot reference XD**)…. Aha!"

Ella and Nudge exchanged a glance.

Fang held up the card. "Don't you see? This is here to help us! It'll help us find Max…" He drifted off as he searched for the ATM again.

"Fang," Ella said sadly, "I think you're tired. Come on… we might be able to afford a hotel tonight."

"No! It's here to help us!" If he hadn't seemed so desperately confused, they would have been happy at the emotions Fang was showing.

"Fang. Listen- someone probably lost it and they're looking for it." Fang refused to listen to Iggy, instead choosing to speed walk to the locate machine. "Fang! Come on man! You don't even know the pin!"

His face hardened as he shoved the card in the slot. Instead of the usual pin and options screen, two words clashed on the screen.

_Welcome Fang_

He nodded, much to the trio's despair.

"He's crazy!" Nudge moaned. Ella only shushed her. More had appeared.

_You will know the pin  
If you truly know her_

Fang needed no reference as to who 'her' was. None of them did.

_What was the one thing she wanted to be  
more than anything else?_

He didn't hesitate to punch in 668437.

"What?" Iggy whispered. " What's happening?"

"Nudge, what did he type in?"

Nudge gulped at the questions, and at the answer. "Mother."

Ella gasped. Iggy didn't expect it to work.

_Good_

And then the words on the screen were gone, replaced with a withdrawal window. Fang fiddled for a bit; no one knew what he was doing and none of them had the heart to tell him to stop again.

"Guys! It has unlimited funds!"

They all cheered, Iggy and Ella halfheartedly. Nudge screamed something about all you can eat hotdogs.

"No." Nudge quirked her head at him. "You doubted me, and I'm not going to _waste_ money."

Nudge's eyebrows furrowed while Iggy whispered. Fang knew he was making himself into the bad guy, but he couldn't care less.

_That will teach them to tread lightly._

!~_

_Max_

She could have said they came for her in the middle of the night. She wished she could know for certain when her life was ruined.

But in the black of the School- or Hell, either way- there was no way to tell. It was a timeless pit of pain.

They did come for her though. She was asleep- lying on her back as to not hurt the baby- and holding Angel's hand. The little girl had gone through horrible tests that day, worse than anything she had ever experienced. So Max had clasped their hands together, and Angel had promptly fallen asleep.

Then they ripped her away. Max didn't know what was going to happen. But Angel did. She started to cry.

"I'm sorry Max. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She kept repeating it over and over as the wheeled the older girl away. Gazzy tried to comfort her, but there was too much space between their cages.

The last thing Max saw before the doors closed behind her was the two children with their arms outstretched. There was an inch of space between their fingers.

She wanted to hit someone.

They pulled her into a white, white, _white_ room and strapped her on a table. She gritted her teeth and resisted the urge to fight against the restraints. She felt vulnerable with her back unprotected, but she couldn't do anything.

Max allowed herself a distraction so she wouldn't focus on the people around her.

She marveled at her transformation from a soft, somewhat girly girl to who she was. If only she knew how it would very soon be magnified.

She wondered, worried and fretted over her baby. It couldn't be good for it if she was on her stomach for too long.

Someone walked into the room and the rest of them came to attention.

"Sir, Subject EA-004 is prepped for surgery." Two rubber gloves snapped. "Stats: fifteen years eleven months; origins: Williamsburg, Virginia. Status: appears to me underfed and overworked. Conditions: two months pregnant. Sex: male."

She sucked in a breath. A son. She had a son. A Mini-Fang, hopefully.

"Administer anesthetic. I want her awake but feeling nothing."

"Yes sir."

She heard nothing, felt nothing after that. That voice, the 'Sir'.

She was being experimented on by her own father.

!~_

"Subject EA-004, stand up." She did as told. Max knew at that point to just follow instructions, it would hurt less. Something felt wrong though. She was off balance, lighter, and her senses seemed to be hyperactive. And her back… it was heavier…

She reached back and almost screamed. Feathers. She had wings.

A figure stepped out into the open area Max was standing in. Her father- no. Jeb. He was no father to her.

"Okay Max. It's time to learn how to fly." So she gritted her teeth and went with it. Within an hour, she was swooping and soaring around the arena.

Jeb watched his daughter sadly as she flew. It was what she was made for, but not created for. He knew she would never trust him again. What she wouldn't even know was that he came to Itex many years after the decision was made. He had no say in the matter. So he was a goody two shoes and made sure he stayed alive long enough to protect her. Well, as much as he could anyway.

He smiled slightly, but it never reached his eyes. "Max, time to come down. You can fly more tomorrow." They weren't allowed to use the subject's names, it humanized them. He made an exception. She didn't fight him, and that saddened him further.

Jeb was suddenly furious with Itex. He knew what he had to do. He would break Max and the other Experiment Angel subjects out, even if it cost him his life.

If only he knew his daughter was thinking the exact same thing.

**Hey guys:) sorry about my lack of updates :( BUT! I have the next few planned out in my head, so now I just need to write them :P**

**R&R!**

**Read On,**

**Skats**


	8. Chapter 6

**Hey guys, sorry bout the late update :( [lol that rhymed XP] Tracks been super busy lately, and my mom has sorta, unofficially banned me from FF…..**

**But on the plus side, my dad got me a computer for Christmas! It's a Mac, so I gotta figure out how to use it XP**

**Anywho, love you all dearly! (in that non-creepy, FF sort of way;P)**

**…oh, and please don't hate me for this….**

_Chapter Six _

_Fang _

It was two days later what it happened. They were nearly at the Rocky Mountains, and Fang insisted they stop. Nudge pestered him about some special hotel up in the mountains and he foolishly agreed.

Two hours and seven minutes later (according to Iggy's timing skills) they were gaping at an E-shaped building nestled thousands of feet above sea level. A sign said _Welcome to the E_.

_How appropriate._

The four walked in and Fang handed the desk person the _MAX_ card, ordering a room with two doubles and a pullout couch. They were escorted to their room and, thankfully, no questions were asked. Fang thought for a moment, then delegated the sleeping arrangements.

Nudge and Ella would share a bed. If they had a problem, one could sleep on the floor, and they would have to work out who. Iggy would have the other bed- "The one a few feet away"- and he would sleep on the couch. It was settled. As a bonus, no one argued.

The girls opted to go to the pool, pulling out bathing suits that Fang didn't know they had ("_Fang,_ one must _always_ be prepared for an opportunity to swim and tan. But mostly tan."). He lounged on one bed as Iggy played video games on the other. How the boy did it he had no idea.

"Igs?"

"Yeah?" He responded, not looking up. Not that it mattered.

"What's it like-"

"AAAAAHHHH!" Fang's head jerked towards him and his was actually scared. Iggy was suspended- by _nothing-_ two feet above the comforter. He clutched at his neck.

"Igs, knock it off man." He didn't. Fang got nervous. "Come on man it's not funny! Stop!" His face was turning red, his ears already purple. His nails scraped at his neck, and Fang thought he was going crazy, or maybe Iggy was. Maybe both. Maybe they were both hallucinating, or perhaps it was all a dream. In those few seconds, Fang allowed his thoughts to sweep over him as he watched his friend helplessly.

He wanted it to just be a nightmare, and soon he would wake up in Max's arms and they would both be okay. They would continue their lives as normal, besides Fang maybe protecting Max a little bit more than before. And for a second, he really believed that he _was_ loony-bin worthy

Until black liquid dripped onto the pillow.

It wasn't from Iggy.

Something hissed and Iggy fell to the bed. Fang wanted to help, to move, to do _something_, but he was frozen in place- not just his mind, but his body as well.

Iggy struggled to sit up, but something pinned him down. Fang watched in horror as two pinpricks of blood dripped down his friend's neck to the collar of his shirt. Seconds later, he was unconscious.

"Ig." No response. "Hey Igiot, wake up. This isn't _funny!_"

Something brushed Fang's cheek' hair, from the feel of it. A voice hissed in his ear.

"He's not waking up anytime soon. And neither are you Fang." It was a girl, that he could tell, though he had never heard such a hate filled voice before. How did she know his name? "_We're coming for you next."_

His neck stung in pain and the invisible girl hummed in his ear.

"Your blood- it's, _delicious._ I can't _wait_ for more." She licked his neck, then was gone.

His vision flickered, then turned black.

When Nudge and Ella returned, hair still wet from the pool, they found an unconscious Fang, blood dripping slowly from his tiny neck wound.

Iggy was gone.

Nudge screamed.

!~_

_Max _

Flying. It was the best thing she had ever experienced. The wind that whipped her hair around and combed through her feathers and attacked her face. The sun, constantly in her eyes but never annoying her. The _freedom._ That was what she had loved most, and it was only given to her in flight.

She drifted for a while, barely needing to flap her wings, until Jeb called up to her. Max knew from experience that if she tried to disobey him, the microchip in her arm would activate and shock her out of the sky. She preferred coming down on her own free will.

There it was again. The thing that occupied her mind: being free. No matter what it was or what the consequences, Max always did things her way. It didn't matter if it was responding to the whitecoats' testing or walking into the arena. She made sure she was free to make the decision, though she always made sure to do what would please them.

She spent her time- when not learning how to fly- taking care of Gazzy and Angel. Her tests seemed to have been cut back and her food upped (most of which she gave to the kids anyways), so she spent a lot more time lying in her crate.

The sad thing was, was that she was starting to think of it as home.

"Max?"

"Yes sweetheart?" Despite her love of Gazzy, Angel was Max's favorite. She couldn't help it; she just loved her almost as much as the child growing inside of her.

"Are we going to be okay?" _ I love you too, Max._

Max sucked in a breath. "I don't know Ange."

The little girl's grip on her hand tightened, and on her other side Gazzy sighed. Soon after, Max sang the prophecy song to the children. They fell asleep before the end, both holding onto her hands. She released them and rubbed her eyes.

Will _ we ever get out of here? I don't think we can take much more._

She wanted to believe that they would make it, that they would be okay. But she could see Gazzy's hopelessness, Angel's growing exhaustion. Max herself was slipping, she could feel it.

What she didn't know though, was how much she was. For in those days, Fang had been backed up to the cliff of oblivion in her mind.

She was forgetting the boy she loved.

**Heh… love y'all? :3**

**R&R?**

**Read On,**

**Skats**


	9. Fang's Blog 2

**Hey again! :3**

* * *

_Fang's Blog_

V

V

V

V

Welcome to Fang's Blog!

You are visitor number…. It broke…

* * *

Yo, Fang here.

So, for the past few days, we've been all over. We had to travel _back_ to NYC to pick up a friend, then head west. We're now fleeing Colorado, after what happened…

Did I tell you about Iggy? He's one of the three others traveling with me. Well, he was.

Iggy was _taken_ too. I don't even know what happened, but it happened. He was here one moment, in all of his wonderful, Iggy-weirdness, and the next- gone. Just like Max. Except this time, I saw what happened. And all I can say is, I hope that it didn't go down like that with her. Call me crazy, but he was picked up by something invisible, bitten (which rendered him, and later myself-when I was bitten too, unconscious) and when I woke up, he was _gone._

So here's what I have to say: Beware, be careful, and be watchful. This isn't just a one-time thing, and it isn't just one person (though I'm not sure she was actually a person) doing this. They could come for anyone next, and I don't want it to turn out like that for you too, World. Because seeing people you love being taken from you is one of the worst things that can ever occur to you. Trust me, they've taken two of my friends. And I don't think they'll stop at just them, unfortunately.

Well, goodbye for now, people of the Internet. Still, keep an eye out for my girl.

Fly On,

Fang

* * *

**TheSavvyGirl : **That's AWFUL! I would offer to help you, but I'm down in Florida… not much to do down here. I'll look for her though. tear… THAT'S SO SAD! And so UNFAIR! D: Stupid evil people! Wait! My mom might be one of them… she just grounded me. Again. -_-

* * *

** : **Fang baby, forget about her ;) Get to Cali and I can get my boat to pick you up. We can sail off into the sunset, just you and me ;*

* * *

**cEdEsFoReVeR : **So you found the talker alright? Sorry I didn't warn you about the girl in time:/ BUT! Beware the Valley of Death, for not all who walk through it have the protection of God. May good luck be with you my friend, and may you find them safely.

* * *

**VR : **don't listen to Dr. Cougar up there. Gross. My advice? Listen to cEdEsFoReVeR. And, not everything is as it seems. Even with those who work against you.

* * *

**ArcheryMan : **she got to the computer first again -_- dude, how do you change usernames on here? The girl two up knows what she's talking about, in a way, as well as my lovely friend VR. There are two sides to every coin. And remember- trust the people you love, and no one else. I repeat, NO ONE else.

* * *

**Continue Reading… 972 Comments Total**

* * *

**Hope y'all like it(:**

**R&R!**

**Read On,**

**Skats**


	10. Chapter 7

**I am an awful, terribly awful person. I'm sorry for not updating for forever! I didn't even realize that it had been so long! So, how do you guys feel about just one of their POVs or the other every once in a while, rather than both?**

**Enjoy!**

**Oh, **pancakes-for-you **was concerned about vampires. Don't worry, the kidnapper chick isn't one:P**

_Chapter Seven_

_Fang_

Nudge was a mess. He knew it, she knew it, Ella knew it. The people they saw for mere seconds knew it. But why?

He had no idea.

Fang spent the next few days comforting the two younger girls, wishing desperately for Max. Even before, Old Fang wasn't very comfortable with emotions- unless they were involved with Max. New Fang hardly knew what they were, let alone how to deal with them.

He had decided to keep them in one place for the time being, so they were staying in a crappy motel in western Colorado. Ella and Nudge refused to leave his side, resulting in them all sharing a room. The girls slept, curled in a little ball while Fang scrolled through comments on his blog.

Never in a million years did he expect to get such a large, or strong, response on it. He had only been hoping for a few kind souls to take pity on him, not actual help. Sure, some of them were freaky, like that LissaLOVESFang! chick, but others were incredibly useful.

Wait.

_But beware the _Valley of Death_, for not all who walk through it have the protection of _God_._

He paused. The Valley of Death sounded familiar. He opened a search bar and typed in _bible Valley of Death._ A verse came up- Psalm 23:4.

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." He spoke it aloud, in hopes of some inspiration. Nothing. Fang's family had never been big on church, only going for Easter and Christmas Eve services.

He tried just _Valley of Death._ Nothing.

But when he typed in _death valley,_ after seeing a Wikipedia page that said Valley of Death is a nickname for Death Valley, something caught his attention. Google informed him that Death Valley was a National Park, located in California.

_Didn't Nudge say we have to go to the West Coast?_

He clicked _Maps_, and zoomed in on the satellite photo. Sure enough, there was a nearly invisible building sitting at the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Fang almost grinned.

They had their next clue.

He rose to wake the girls. Ella was stretching and yawning, his hand on Nudge's shoulder, when the door exploded inward.

_Max_

_"Fang?" She giggled at his game. The boy seemed to be able to blend into anything. That meant that Max was constantly searching for him. She didn't mind._

_A strong pair of arms wrapped around her waist and she could feel him smile into her hair. "I'm here. What's up, love?"_

_Her grin disappeared as she remembered her reason for seeking Fang out._

_"Max? What's wrong?"_

_"Oh Fang," she wailed. His arms tightened as Max's knees gave out. She was crying. "She's making me leave!"_

_His alarm grew. "What do you mean?"_

_"M-Mom's saying that I can't date yo-you anymore. And I said she couldn't make m-me!" She hiccupped, something Fang knew only Max to do when upset. "And she's g-going to send me to a boarding school!"_

_Fang gasped softly. Dr. M had always seemed to love their relationship. But ever since they had well… slept together, she had noticed something different about them. They were closer, and she had her suspicions. Dr. M hardly ever let Fang over to their house, or let Max next door to his. Max fought constantly with her about it._

_"Fang, we can't let her break us up."_

_"Max, baby, nothing will break us up." He tried to soothe her, but nothing was working. Not even playing with her hair and rubbing her shoulders, the fool proof way of stopping her tears._

_"It's in England." He froze, his mind spinning at a million miles an hour. A loose plan formed._

_"Run away with me." Her surprise was enough to make her stop crying._

_"What?"_

_"Run away with me. We can go to New York, or Cali. Anywhere you want. But I-I just can't lose you."_

_She turned around in his embrace, and stared into the boy's dark eyes. Everyone always assumed that they were black, but Max knew that they were brown- deeper than dark chocolate and flecked with multitudes of colors._

_"Okay."_

!~_

_Max hung up the phone, feeling guilty. She didn't want to lie to Fang, but she had to be sure._

_The walk to the convenience store was short, but felt like forever. Her palms were sweating as she walked through the aisles, and she nearly puked while picking a test._

Is just one enough? _She wondered. It would have to be, she only had enough money for one. The cashier looked down her nose at the teenager as she checked out, so Max lied._

_"It's for my older sister." The woman's face immediately cleared, and she at least had the decency to look somewhat ashamed. But Max still gave her the finger as she walked out. In the bathroom stall, she was shaking so hard she couldn't open the tiny box. Finally, she was holding the contents._

What if I'm wrong? What if it's just nothing? _But she knew she was just lying to herself. It had been over a month, and there had been no signs of her dear "Aunt Flo"._

_It was a plus sign._

_She cried. Right there in the McDonalds' bathroom stall, she sobbed her heart out. No doubt her mother would make her have an abortion, or perhaps put the child up for adoption._

_Neither of which she would ever do, especially because it was Fang's child._

_Walking home- or, more specifically, to Fang's house- she was still in tears. She never saw the black SUV that pulled along side her._

_As the men grabbed her, she screamed only one word._

"FANG!"

!~_

_"Fang, Fang!" Max sobbed, hopelessly looking through the bars of her crate for _someone._ She couldn't quite remember who it was though._

_But all she saw was death and despair. No Savior, no salvation in sight. Angel lay lifeless in her crate, making Max cry even harder. Gazzy was vomiting, or at least trying too. There wasn't anything to get rid of. She could see him fading away before her eyes._

_Hysteria seemed to roll off of her, affecting many of the experiments near Max. Howls, chirps, and cries filled the air. Max's panic built._

_A sharp pain erupted in her stomach. She gasped, and grabbed it with a hand. When she pulled it away, it was covered in blood._

_Max screamed._

"Max, Max! Wake up!" She woke, tears streaming down her face. Who was Fang? And why did she seem to know him?

"Max, are you okay?" It was Gazzy, on her right as always. At least one thing in her screwed up life was consistent.

"I-" She hiccupped. "I'm fine." Her voice was raspy.

"Okay." The double doors swung open, revealing none other than Jeb. He took Max's cage, who was too tired to fight him, and wheeled her to the arena.

If she had really cared, she would have noticed the lack of oponents. But she didn't. All she could do was gasp in the fresh air and lean heavily on the wall when he opened the door.

She never saw the attack coming.

**Whoa, this whole chapter was one huge cliffie X) But, I hope her dreamy/flashback thingies helped out a little with explaining. Any guesses with whats going on (with both Fang and Max)? There's a bit o' foreshadowin' in this chapter too..**

**R&R!**

**Read On,**

**Skats**


	11. Chapter 8

**Hey y'all! Sorry for not replying to reviews yet… I'll get right on that. I just really wanted to start typing :P**

**Track is officially over :( buuut, that does mean more time for writing ;P**

**Friday was my one year anniversary on Fanfiction! Review for me? Please?(:**

!~_

_Chapter Eight_

_Fang_

_"You're under arrest!"_

_"FANG!"_

The men wrenched at his arms, the cool metal ripped into his skin. The girls were hysterical. Fang managed to make eye contact with them and motioned with his eyes to leave. Nudge got the message, and hauled Ella along with her.

"Hey, grab them!" Fang watched helplessly as a short, mean looking woman blocked the door. He could see the grease in her hair from his spot on the bed. The officers holding him pushed his face farther into the surface of the mattress.

Nudge skidded to a stop, and turned to the open balcony. Fang's eyes widened. What was she planning? It would kill them! She latched onto Ella's armpits. Ella just froze, completely terrified. She wouldn't be any help.

A soft, overweight cop lunged just as Nudge climbed onto the railing with her friend.

He grabbed Ella's arm, but Nudge fell over the edge. As her arms pinwheeled, Fang finally saw her tattoos. Wings. A wing for each wrist.

"_NUDGE!"_ Again, it was Ella who called out. She screamed the girl's name, then his. Then she just screamed, and screamed. They couldn't get her to stop. The tears rained down in rivers on her thin face. Fang cried too, but only on the inside. New Fang still had control, and he didn't have time to grieve. Even if he did just witness a thirteen-year-old plummet to her death.

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law-"

"Charges." Despite the hysteria on her face, Ella spoke clearly.

"-Excuse me?"

"What are the charges against my friend? I'm curious to know, especially since Officer-" she checked the name tag on the uniform of the man who had pulled her away from Nudge, "-White here just aided the death of another friend of mine."

The men both spluttered in indignation. Officer White denied his role in Nudge's death. The one brutally twisting Fang's wrist nearly growled.

"The charges, young lady, include kidnapping you, and your sister, Maxine Martinez. And, from the looks of it, that girl. Michaels, go check the ground." The woman from the doorway nodded and left, but Fang saw none of it. At the mention of Max, he lost it. The fight that had left him came rushing back, and he yelled.

It was a primal, guttural sound that made many of the people in the room draw away in fear. He thrashed back and forth; he was even able to get as far as standing.

"I would _never_ hurt Max!" a short man with red hair stepped forward and reached for Fang. Two more appeared on his right. Fang just lowered his head and charged.

The last thing he could remember was Ella's horrified, tear-streaked face, and hearing her scream, "NO! _FANG!" _Then, everything was black.

_Max_

"Max, you need to focus. Don't let her get you!" Jeb's voice was almost as annoying as her invisible opponent. She opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off but a punch to the jaw.

_Ow. Stupid Bitch._

Max squared off and raised her fists in defiance. A ghostly laugh floated around her, but from where exactly she wasn't quite sure.

"You think you can defeat me? You're just a measly little human!"

_Oh, but that's where you're wrong._

Max unfurled her fourteen foot wings and took off. The laughter turned cruel.

"That's not going to scare me, bird think I haven't fought your kind before?" Max circled, trying to locate where the fighter was. "Come down, little birdie. I just want to wring your neck."

Cat DNA, maybe? She wouldn't put it past the whitecoats.

A shock ripped through her, and Max arched her back in pain.

"_Aghh!_" She fell to the ground in a heap, barely managing to curl into a ball to protect her baby. "What the hell was that, _Dad?_" The girl chuckled.

"Ooh, betrayed? Maybe I would feel bad. But..." She paused, and Max could imagine her as a popular girl, inspecting her nails as she prepared to ruin another loner. "I don't."

She was blind, in a sense, and that was why she could have never prepared for it.

A large mass hurtled into her, knocking Max off of her recently re-acquired footing (**A/N: does that make sense.?**). Fists pummeled her sides; she clutched her stomach in a weak attempt to ward off the attack. A foot connected with her leg, her knee, her already weak ankle. She cried out as the bone snapped. The girl hissed in delight as Max's blood spilled onto the dry earth. Hair brushed Max's ear; she shuddered.

"Three victims in a week, it must be my lucky day!" The girl chuckled darkly. Max didn't notice. She rolled to the side, free of the burden of her attacker, and coughed. Blood coated her tongue, and she spit it out.

In an instant, the fight was over. Whitecoats rushed in, separating the two. Max could finally see her assaulter as she banged against the invisible walls of her container. She howled in frustration as more scientists moved Max out of the pain in Max's stomach was growing by the second. It was just like her dread, only much, _much_ more painful. She screamed and writhed as they threw her on a gurney and rolled her to a normal white room. They shouted over her to each other, calling out orders.

She coughed again, a sound that rattled in her chest. The liquid congealed in her throat, making it impossible to breathe. The pain migrated lower, to where she would normally wear jeans. She shook with the terror of what was happening.

She knew. They knew. Everyone knew.

"_Get Dr. Batchelder! NOW!"_

**OMG WHAT JUST HAPPENED?! WHAT DID I ****_DO_****?! Even ****_I_**** can't believe the nerve of myself! Why do I do these things to them (and you)?!**

**Well, to find out, and to congratulate me on my longest relationship ever [;)],**

**R&R!**

**Read On,**

**Skats**


	12. Chapter 9

…**.hey? :3 Don't kill me! I'm not totally sure what has taken me so long to update, and I'm sorry. But I'm doing this because I don't want **pancakes-for-you** to die, so here I am! Enjoy! :P**

!~_

_Chapter Nine_

_Fang_

The metal of the cuffs bit into his hands, the hard plastic of the seat rubbed awkwardly at his shoulders. Yet the discomfort was welcome; anything to keep his mind off of the events that had occurred a few hours ago.

Iggy had been kidnapped. Nudge was dead. Ella was somewhere far away, 'safe and protected' from him. Fang had been shoved into the back of a police car once arrested, and they had begun the long journey home. _Home._ Fang didn't know where that was anymore. Certainly not in suburbia Virginia, with his parents and his crazy younger brother, Mike. They weren't his family, not now, not any more than the quaint little house was his home. He belonged on the road, with his patchwork family of teenagers, tracking down his missing girlfriend.

That dream was gone. Now that it was, he recognized it as just that- a dream, nothing more. How could they have ever hoped to track Max down, let alone rip her from whatever evil forces had her in their grasp? It was a fool's hope, one that made him want to curl up and sob, even if it was right there in the back of a police car.

Hour after hour flew by as they inched eastward. For a few minutes, he entertained himself by bashing his head on the grating in front of him. It kept his mind off of the fact that they had been _so_ damn close. Colorado to California wouldn't have taken them very long. But no, the police had caught up to them, though how, he wasn't sure.

Despite the fact that their jurisdiction had ended hundreds of miles back, the cops didn't relinquish their hold on him. As night crept into the sky he was witnessing cows being fed and corn being harvested. The beauty of the Great Plains was lost on him as he wished for the trees he had grown up around, like the ones that he and Max used to climb, back when they were children. Children and merely friends, he reminded himself.

But he would go back to the days of being just friends, if he could have his Max with him. He slept, or tried to, for a few hours. The molded seat refused to let him grow comfortable enough to rest for more than a few minutes. He cursed his bad luck, and banged his head once more. The last time, the officer in the front had made him stop by threatening him, but he wouldn't be so easily quieted this time.

"Boy, stop." It was the same man who had caused Nudge's death. The knowledge elicited a low growl from the back of his throat. The man shifted, uneasy in the presence of 'such a danger'- something Fang had heard them call him earlier. The title pleased him, if he was to be honest. He would never admit to it though; he felt ashamed to have changed so much. Would Max even recognize him, if he ever found her?

The answer was simple, and it terrified him: Probably not.

!~_

To subdue Fang, Officer White and his partner had to pull over on the edge of a corn field. Twenty minutes of threats and promises had held no sway over him, so they took matters into their own hands. Which, Fang soon discovered, took the use of their boots more than their hands.

"Filthy criminal." It was the greasy haired woman, Officer Michaels, who said that as she kicked him in the side. He had no hands to protect himself as they beat him, and he would not respond. For once, New Fang and Old Fang were in agreement: they wouldn't give them the satisfaction of a sound from his mouth.

"Rotten scum like you should be thrown into a cell and never let out." A kick to the groin this time, that left him gasping. The physical blows hurt, but the verbal ones threatened to tear him apart. He hadn't done anything wrong, not really. Ella had gone willingly, and so had Nudge. Yes, they had coerced Iggy into it, but he had agreed in the end.

Now, he was all that remained. And the little bit of him he could find was not pretty.

"I bet you murdered that girl, and were just biding your time before-"

He snapped, and it pushed him far over the edge. Fang vaulted upwards, a feat of rage and adrenaline, and lunged. Officer White went down, fear present in every angle of his face. That face went blank as soon as Fang smashed their foreheads together. By pure strength of will he stayed conscious. Despite what she had done, he left Officer Michaels alone; he wouldn't hit a girl unless his life depended on it.

As he ran through the corn stalks, he feared it might. A gun sounded, shattering what was left of the quiet of the night. It missed, barely, and Fang put on another burst of speed. His breath came in short pants, he could hardly see as the leaves whipped him in the face. Air resisted flowing into his lungs, but he forced it to anyways. He stumbled and fell, furiously hating the cuffs that kept him restricted. Quickly, he scrambled to his feet and continued to run. His exhaustion was growing rapidly, but he ignored it.

"Halt! I will fire!" He paid her no mind, except to wish that he had knocked her out as well.

_BANG!_ The bullet made no sound of impact, he paused a moment to see which way it had veered. To his surprise, he saw nothing destroyed. No stalks fell, no dirt flew up. To his amazement, he felt a light trail of blood dripped down his shoulder blade. She had shot _him._ In the right shoulder, if he wasn't mistaken.

Despite the wound, he kept running. Once more, he pitched forward, thrown by a corncob. _And they say it's the banana peels to watch out for._ His frustration grew as Fang found he couldn't get up without the use of his hands. It erupted, however, when he saw that he was a stone's throw away from the edge of the field. He wasn't going to be capture- or possibly killed - _that_ close to escape.

With one last surge of strength, he forced his knees under his body and stood, though a little wobbly. The blood drenched the back of his shirt, a reminder of his injury. He didn't stop to wonder why he couldn't feel it.

The last row was in sight, but he could also hear Officer Michaels, who seemed to be gaining on him. His dirt nap had cost him precious time. Two more steps and he was bursting out of the tall corn and into an empty area.

He corrected himself. Not empty. There was a white, two story house, and a red, three story barn a few yards ahead. Maybe if he could reach the barn in time he could-

_BANG!_ This wasn't the same sound that had come from the police officer's gun. Instead, it was deep and forceful. The click afterwards told him it was from a shotgun. Fang spun around wildly, trying to locate the newest threat. A younger looking man stood on the porch of the house. How he hadn't seen him, Fang wasn't sure. He blamed it on the blood loss. Sheltered behind the screen door was a woman with wild, curling hair and a young child.

"Who's out there?" The man's voice was powerful and compelling, not unlike the gun he held, and Fang found himself staggering into the circle of light offered by a small lantern resting on the railing. The child yelped and the woman gasped at the sight of him. The man trained his weapon on Fang and was opening his mouth to say something when the officer crashed through the field.

Everything froze. Her gun was pointed at Fang, as was the man's. Fang could feel his heart pounding in his chest. He hoped he wouldn't die after all that he had gone through. And he still hadn't found Max.

He raised his hands, facing the house- hoping that they were more inclined to be his newest- and only- allies. In response to something, perhaps the not-so-concealed terror on the boy's face, the man's gun shifted. Fang was shocked to see that he was pointing it at Officer Michaels.

"Whadaya think you're doing?" His twang coexisted with a natural Boston accent, creating an unusual sound. He gestured with the gun. "Uniform says you're from Colorado. Little far from home, don't ya think?"

Fang swayed dangerously, feeling as if his head was floating high above.

"You're outside of your jurisdiction, Officer. I think it's time you leave." Michaels spluttered with rage at being talked at by a person young enough to be her son. Fang was sure that some of her anger came from the fact that he implied that Fang wouldn't be going with her. Not that it meant he was staying with the man though.

"Don't forget, this is private property."

She drew herself up, much taller in her outrage, or so it seemed to Fang. "I cannot just allow this dangerous criminal to be free. He kidnapped two girls and-"

He flinched, not wanting another person to learn the lies and turn from him, but he didn't have to worry. The man cut her off before she could finish.

"I don't know how things work out west, Ma'am," he drawled, "But out here on the plains this is how it goes: personal justice first, laws second." His face hardened. "And I don't particularly like the look of you. So if you'd like to leave lookin' the same you came, you best beat it. Now."

Sending one last infuriated glance Fang's way, Officer Michaels turned and stalked her way back through the acres of corn.

A sigh of relief left the man before looking at his wife. "Get Robin to bed. I'll deal with this." She nodded, then ushered the girl out of sight. The man's grip never loosened on his gun.

"Now son, what can I-"

It was all Fang heard before falling to the ground on his uninjured side.

"_Max."_ It was just a whisper, but it sapped the rest of his strength. Darkness overtook him.

!~_

**What's this? No Max? Mysterious. You'll just have to wait for her to show up again. ;) But I'm seriously proud. This is one of my longest chapters ever.**

**Whoa. I totally did not plan that. Fang was supposed to go home. But… I like it! :D You never truly know what those pesky characters will do next, yeah? :P I don't mean to be stereotypical of mid-westerners, so don't be offended! Please! :)**

**Anywho, again, I'm sorry for disappearing. :/ Love you all! I get it if you don't want to, but maybe R&R?:3**

**Read On,**

**Skats**


	13. Chapter 10

**Heh. Hey. Sorry... If it makes you feel better, it's been twice as long since I updated No Room for Errors This Time, and I'm down to the last chapter. -_-**

**!~_**

_Chapter Ten_

_Fang_

He woke to the burning pain in his body. It broke through his twisting, nightmare-ish dreams with a tiny pinprick. That was how it started- a fleck of bright fire floating in a sea of darkness. It moved through the curls of his thoughts; at the same time, his mind jolted upward, giving him a view of his body. The speck alighted on his shoulder- right above the shoulder blade- and suddenly all he could feel was pain. It was all he knew- anything else meant nothing to him.

The pain grew, spreading out in tendrils. Soon, his body was a black hole, lit with a pulsing fire in his veins. The edges of his skin glowed, the fire biting at his skin but not burning through. That didn't stop the pain though.

Then he was hurtling back into his body. The pulse of light never diminished, even as he staggered upright. The fire snapped in his legs and feet, and a vicious howl tore at his throat. He ignored it all, instead focusing on the task of walking, and when that proved too difficult, shuffling. It was dark wherever he was, so incredibly dark that he wouldn't have been able to tell the black of his shape from the blackness of the area, if it hadn't been for the molten pain coursing through him.

One thought, a single, determined thought, came floating to him through the abyss of pain.

_Max._

The fire flared brighter, forcing him to his knees. He couldn't feel any ground beneath him, yet he remained suspended in the chilling night. Every thought of Max sent a new wave of agony through him, but he didn't stop thinking of her. Quite the opposite, in fact.

He relished it, all of the anguish inflicted by his own mind. It pulled at his heart, picking with its own determination. It pinched and plucked, hopeful of tearing him down. But with each second of misery, his conviction only grew. He forced himself to stand again. After mere moments he was on his knees once more. So he crawled. In its tyranny, the fire compelled him to push on, fighting through the pulsing torment.

_Max._

It was this thought that drove him forward, even when his right shoulder had given out and he could barely move. It was what blocked out the pain, yet simultaneously amplified it in its magnitude.

And suddenly, he could see her. There was a ragged, thin, bedraggled girl that he could, and would, recognize anywhere, who seemed to be illuminated from within, though differently than he was. The air grew stale in his lungs when he realized she was not moving. He crawled, closing the distance between him and the girl lying on the imaginary floor. She seemed to be shrouded in shadow, but after what felt like years of being separated, he refused to let it get in his way.

Using one arm, he wriggled his way to a spot where he could see her face. And it broke his heart to see the gaunt cheeks and bruised eyes. Yet coupled with it was an immense, overpowering joy of knowing that his Max was _alive._ His happiness broke through the pain and sorrow like a ray of sun peaking through the storm clouds. His heart struggled against his ribcage, and he felt so full of emotions that his chest might explode from the force of them.

"_Max."_ He whispered it only once, the sound so beautiful in the silence of the oppressive darkness.

She didn't stir.

The panic fluttered then, unsteady and small against his elation. But it was there. He fought it, and the rising pain, but it wouldn't retreat. He felt like his would burst, from different emotions this time, as he called her name again and again.

He was mere seconds from shaking her with his one good arm when her head lolled to the side. He held his breath. Then those swirling caramel eyes winced open, and he could have sworn that he had never been so happy. That is, until he really looked at her. Max's eyes were dull and lifeless, as if she had given up on fighting. She looked through him at first, staring listlessly into the darkness. Finally, she shifted her eyes to his face, but nothing changed. The flat coloring didn't light up, as it once had.

His worst fears had come true. She didn't know him anymore.

He began to howl, something that Max seemed to take no notice of. He lifted his hand from the ground by her side to his face, and was startled to feel a wetness on it. He glanced down. Though he was still only a silhouette, he could tell was it was. Blood. And from the looks of it, it was leaking from Max's stomach. As he watched with growing horror, it bubbled up from her mouth as well, and then ran down from her tear ducts. The puddle continued to grow around her, enveloping him in its warm death. As he watched, Max's eyes rolled back in her head, but not before her fingers weakly traced her stomach.

Then, the invincible Maximum Ride died.

* * *

**Okay, so it's short. And I was planning on actually clearing some things up for you, instead of leaving you with a cliffie. Again. Sigh. I'll try typing some more tomorrow, but I also have a rough draft for a 456 (really? what type of a number is that?) point paper due Tuesday, and I haven't done any of it...**

**Well, review, if you aren't too busy plotting how to kill me.**

**Read On,**

**Skats**


	14. Fang's Blog 3

**Hey guys! Thanks for not killing me :) A lot of you have a lot of guesses about what that chapter was, and yes, it was a filler. shame on me. Well, enjoy! (I know I haven't written one of these in a while...)**

* * *

_Fang's Blog_

V

V

V

V

Welcome to Fang's Blog!

You are visitor number... Still broken.

* * *

Yo, it's Fang.

I know it's been awhile guys. And I'm sorry. But you really can't blame the guy who was arrested, saw his friend die, escaped police custody, and was shot. Yeah, you heard me right- _shot._ Right in the goddamned shoulder. And it _hurts._

But it doesn't hurt as much as a dream I had while I was still unconscious. It showed Max. And she was bleeding everywhere. And she died in my arms.

Guys, I can admit this to you. You've stuck with me through all of this, whether you're just reading this for me, or for the Max content, or you want to help the world in some way but can't. What matters is that you're here, when I've lost everyone I love.

I'm scared.

There, it's said. It's also the first time I've ever admitted that to anyone, so I expect you to keep this very hush hush. But who wouldn't be terrified? My girlfriend and newly-made friend were taken, my girl's sister was sent back home. And someone, a little girl who trusted me to protect her, is dead.

Right now, I'm on the run from the cops. Sounds pretty legit, right? Well, it's not. I'm trapped in a house with a man who doesn't trust me, a woman who can't be in the same room as me, and a little girl who reminds me of the one I let down.

She fell off a balcony to her death. And I was the one responsible for her. I let it happen.

And now I've just had this dream about Max. Let me tell you, my adrenaline levels are at an all new high.

I just can't stop seeing her face... The worst part is that she didn't even look scared.

Guys, I'm freaked out, and I'm freaking out. How can I expect to find Max if I can't even keep track of the people who were with me all the time? I need your help, all of you. Even if all you can do is comment about that creepy old man down the street, or the time you saw a mime look like he was actually getting beaten up.

You're it, World. You're my one chance to find my girl. Please, help me.

Fly On,

Fang

* * *

**ArcherWithAnArrow :** I won't even comment on it, so I expect you not to either. I'm sorry to hear about your friends. If I wasn't locked up with VR all the time, I would be out there with you man! After all of that...sheesh, that blows. I don't even have anything else to say.

* * *

**VR :** how do you manage to get yourself into situations like this? I've never heard of such bad luck! But you know... I feel like your story is familiar, somehow. Like, I've heard it before, or something. Maybe there's a movie about it. I'll look around, to see if there is one, and maybe see what they do to resolve the issue. I mean, I know it's Hollywood. But still, there must be some truth to it...

* * *

**TheNudgeChanel :** (_This message has been cut off due to profanity and the length_)

* * *

**cEdEsFoReVeR : **Beware the Valley of Death, especially now that your guardian angel is gone. Max grows weak. _Find her_.

* * *

**Continue Reading... 1149 Comments Total**

* * *

**100th reviewer gets a shoutout and can ask one question (It doesn't even have to be related to the story, just nothing that will reveal personal info about me). I'll answer in a PM, so it can't be an anon. Sorry..**

**Next up, MAX! R&R! :)**

**Read On,**

**Skats**


	15. Chapter 11

**Shout out to Scarlett Sparks, my 100th reviewer! And a shout out to all of you, who constantly review to give me advice and boost my confidence, and to all of you who read the story, even if you don't say anything. It all means a lot guys :)**

**!~_**

_Chapter Eleven_

_Max_

Blinding pain. It made Max think of Experiment Angel. It made Max think of how she wasn't really Max anymore, but subject EA-004. She had no name. She had no identity. She was just an abnormality, a freak with wings in a world of perfect people.

The realization stung, but it was a bee-sting next to a rushing tsunami of pain. She knew, without a doubt, that there was something she desperately needed to know, something that was life changing. But she couldn't remember, no matter how hard she strained.

It was difficult to tell how long she floated in the agonizing torrent. It didn't help that she was not free to move. Max twisted and turned, but the pain held her captive, a prisoner of her own mind. She wondered, vaguely, if this was what it was like in a coma. But no. Coma patients who were reawakened said that it was all one long dream, where they never had to worry.

She wondered if worry was her name.

Sleep slowly overtook her, but Max couldn't have cared less. The pain was starting to fade, to a buzzing sound in the back of her mind. It reminded her of a bee.

When she woke, the tsunami was back, crashing over her in a tidal wave of fury. She wanted to cry out, but couldn't. As the feeling abated, little by little, she found she couldn't see. She couldn't do a lot of things, including breathe.

Panic took over her senses, and it was all she could do to not scream. Not that it mattered.

In those moments, she wanted to die.

So she did.

* * *

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep beep beep._

The nurse took no notice of the increased heart rate. The doctors had told her that it was normal; that even in the coma-like state, the experiments tended to dream. Not that she thought the disgusting little creeps actually had enough brain power to do that. But the doctors were insistent that the things had vast wealths of knowledge, so she kept her mouth shut.

_Beep. Beep. Beep beep beep. BeepbeepbeepbeepBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP-_

She jolted upright and looked around. The sound was coming from the third tank, where EA-004 was being housed. The nurse liked her even less than the others. For some reason, all of the doctors loved her. All the nurse saw was a girl who was stupid enough to get herself knocked up, and then kidnapped.

Despite that, she paged the experiment's main doctor.

"Jeb Batchelder, to IT room two."

"On my way, Julie." She sat back, confident that she had done enough.

_-BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBE-_

The noise went silent. Julie glanced up, then back at her clipboard. No beeping meant one thing- and she would be damned if the golden apple of the doctors' eyes died on her watch.

"Dr. Batchelder to IT two now! EA-004's heart monitor has stopped."

The doors banged opened a second later, and Julie shrank in horror when Dr. Batchelder loomed over her.

"Which tank is she in?" Her lip curled in disgust as he talked about it as if it was human. She cowered when the doctor slammed his fist into the metal table at her side. "_Which- tank?_"

"Three..." The nurse's voice shook in time with her hand as she pointed out the tank he was after. Other doctors stormed through the doors, shouting and yelling over themselves as they set up equally loud machines. As more showed up, they wheeled in bright, chrome monsters that ate up the space in the room.

Nurse Julie pushed herself into the corner, images of her being fired- _or worse,_ a part of her whispered- running wildly through her mind. She watched, helpless, as Jeb punched the passcode into the isolation tank. The room seemed to hold its breath as the machine hissed open, revealing EA-004.

Again, Julie's lips curled into a snarl. Its lifeless body floated at the top of the tank, one hand resting gently on its stomach. Her mind flashed to the experiment's latest procedure, and she pitied it, for a moment. No woman, especially a teen, should have to feel that pain.

But no, it wasn't a woman, it was just a pathetic patchwork of parts, Julie reminded herself. She saw its wings poking up from over its shoulders. It wasn't even human.

Dr. Batchelder hooked his arms under the experiment's knees and around its shoulders. He lifted it up and carried it to the shining, metal gurney by the next tank. He laid it out and smoothed its tangled hair from its face. The nurse coughed, and he stood, glancing about to see if anyone had noticed his actions.

Julie smirked. Perhaps, if she was going to pay for the creature's death, she would take someone else down with her.

* * *

Jeb desperately watched as the other doctors worked to save his daughter. Of course, not many of them knew that fact, but the ones who did quickly took over. They labored silently around the girl, the only sound the buzz of the defibrillator paddles as the men attempted to revive her.

For the first time in his life, Jeb prayed. It was a jumbled mess of emotions and contained very few words, most of which bordered on hysterical. Even though he had played god on numerous occasions, Jeb knew that if God was real, he would understand. He suddenly hoped that the people he had demeaned his whole life were right, and there was a higher entity than himself.

He thought that if Max was saved, he would find a way to get the two of them out of there.

Suddenly, he heard an almost inaudible gasp. The room ceased in all motion; everyone waited for a second one. And it came.

The doctors laughed and clapped their neighbor on the back, congratulating each other on their success. Jeb smiled, barely holding back his tears. His daughter was alive.

_Thank you, God._ He was leaning down to plant a light kiss on her forehead when a hand shot up and grabbed him around the throat.

Everyone froze.

* * *

All Max had wanted to do was die. But they had even forbidden her from that. Nothing was safe or sacred anymore, she couldn't even choose her own death. That right was owned by them- just like everything else.

They would pay for that.

The lights blinded her, but her hand continued to tighten around the man's neck- she didn't care who it was, as long as he suffered. They would all suffer, at her hand, for what they had done to her. For what they had done to her son.

The thought made her pause. Her left hand reached down and traced a familiar path on her stomach. There was no response. She had gotten used to feeling the presence of her baby, a pressure on her mind. She had often wondered if he would grow up to be a mind reader, like Angel. After all, Max had been experimented on early in her pregnancy. The likelihood of her child becoming mutated was very high.

But the pressure was gone.

Max's stomach lurched, and in an instant, the man, the lights, and revenge were all forgotten. She rolled over and threw up, missing the gurney and hitting the floor. She was glad for the mess. It distracted her for an instant, but then her mind was being drawn back to the fact that her baby was dead.

_They would pay._

**Okay, I had more planned for this, but I liked the way it sort of cut off like that... Suspenseful ;p And I know that you probably all hate me at the moment. So I'm sorry :/ But I'm on summer break right now, so I'll definitely be writing a whole lot more!**

**I think I'm starting to understand why people say that they only create the character and then write down their journey. Max and Fang are making choices and taking risks that I could have never imagined when I started this, even though I'm the writer.**

**And now that I've written you a second chapter, I have one last thing to say:**

**Maybe visit .com? For me? :3**

**Read On,**

**Skats**


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